*Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for access to the advanced reader's copy for this book!

I love a witchy story and was so excited to explore an author new to me with Ava Morgyn’s The Bane Witch!
This books started out so so strong! I felt instantly connected and engaged with our female main character. I felt immediate support for her and a desire for her to survive and thrive. I think the character development displayed through our female main character is one of the best things about this story. Morgyn takes care in slowly revealing layers of this character’s past, while also exploring her growth in the present. It adds so much to this book and really is the core of the story.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the way that witchiness is explored, described, and manifested in this books. It’s unique, interesting, and ties to our characters is a wonderful way.
Unfortunately, I do think there was a bit too much action left for the end of the book, which makes things feel rushed. It also leads to a level is unbelievability that is hard to get over given how much emphasis is placed on secrecy throughout this story.
Overall, I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this book and definitely recommend it if looking for an eerie story.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

This ended up being a 3.5-4 star by the end. I hate that there is one part of the book that dropped that rating down and glad that it slightly redeemed itself by the last page.

So, Piers is a smart woman who has suffered from lots of emotional and domestic abuse. Trigger warning because there are some graphic depictions of DV. She fakes her "suicide" to frame her abusive husband and does so creatively. The author wrote in a way that you can feel her desperation while trying to be focused and logical.

When she makes it north to her family and learns about her abilities, much of her childhood makes sense. The way the magic is described and the witches she meets are fascinating, especially learning how they each have their "marks" and what their specialty is they hunt. Piers love affair with the Sherriff is complicated because of the investigations and the serial killer hunting the woods, however, I didn't feel that their chemistry was necessarily there but also, I understood their dynamic. It wasn't exactly trauma bonding, but it wasn't based on personalities and honesty.

The ending was slightly rushed and felt like the buildup to the altercation with the killer was more intense than the actual confrontation, however, I kind of liked that at the end he was just a human and that his elusiveness and atmosphere were more terrifying than he himself.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book! I have recommended it to a couple of my witchy loving friends.

*Rated 4.5 on sites that allow it*

In the acknowledgments, Ava Morgyn calls The Bane Witch a magical thriller, and that is the perfect description. Also, I think I might love magical thrillers and I need to find more.

I liked Piers as a MC. She’s hurt, angry, and lost, but still determined to find her way. She’s also not perfect, as she makes some mistakes while figuring out what the heck a bane witch is and how to navigate her new reality. I do think she figured out all the bane witch stuff a little too quickly though. She had a lot of help from her aunt, but it still felt like she went from clueless to expert too easily. The story took place only over a matter of months and I wish that even towards the end of the book, she’d still been kind of unsure of her abilities.

The Bane Witch isn’t a romance, but there was a romance subplot that felt necessary for Piers as she experienced a relationship full of tenderness and love instead of the horrible treatment she received from her husband. Similarly, her relationship with her aunt Myrtle was a loving replacement for her strained relationship with her mother. It was nice to see Piers get the love she deserved.

The entire idea of a family of bane witches is really cool and I want to be one. Ingesting poison and then seducing shitty men so I can transfer the poison to them and kill them? Sign me up. I love the way it worked and I imagine there are no plans whatsoever for a series but every member of the family does things differently and I think it would be awesome if certain members had their own books! Plus, think of all the feminine rage and revenge! Yesssssss.

Having read and enjoyed The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn, I was looking forward to reading The Bane Witch.

All, I can say is wow! This one totally surprised me. We are first introduced to Piers Corbin as she is trying to leave her abusive husband. The writing was dark, and felt like a thriller. So much so, that I actually checked to make sure that I was reading the right book!

Piers eventually makes it to her aunt’s place and soon learns why she was drawn to pokeberries. It turns out that she is a very powerful “Bane Witch” - a legacy of witches with a very distinct purpose in life.

This book combined two of my favorites - witches and thriller-esque. It’s not your typical witchy magic book and it’s not your typical thriller, it’s an interesting blend of both. And it really worked for me.

I didn’t end up finishing this book. Unfortunately I am just not the reader for this book. Apparently I’m more sensitive to descriptions of domestic violence and abuse than I realized. I did enjoy the story and the writing so I’m not sworn off picking it up again, but I’d need to be more emotionally prepared to handle the subject matter. A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

I'm not gonna lie but I had a little trouble getting through the first few chapters. There was just something about the writing that felt a little off-putting to me and I even wondered if I would find myself DNFing. I continued on though, and eventually the writing got better for me, and I ended up really enjoying the story. I think I would be interested in reading another story by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 18, 2025.

Don’t let this cozy cover fool you! This book is a very suspenseful book about witches! Nice touch setting it in modern times! If someone from Netflix is out there - this would make into an amazing miniseries! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

A woman discovers her own poisonous power.

I loved this book! It reminded me of Gone Girl mixed with Practical Magic. All of the vibes were there from the methodical mystery to dangerous men crossing the line with magical women. There was even a well meaning sheriff!

I was immediately drawn into the storyline and invested in the main character, Piers. Her experiences with domestic abuse were handled with care. Sometimes her choices were frustrating but under the circumstances they made sense.

The magical elements were easy to understand and straightforward. I loved the coven aspect and the female centric nature of the story.

Regis was an awesome book boyfriend. He handled Piers with care without knowing her or her background. He also tried to understand where she was coming from no matter what. There were some spicy scenes in this one but they’re very low steam.

The mysteries that played out were pretty thrilling. I don’t want to give too much away but if serial killers intrigue you this may be right up your alley.

Romance
Magical
Mystery
Thriller
Movieish

Rating: 5/5

#bookstackcityreviews

Thank you @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy of #thebanewitch !!

Did I read my favorite book of the year in March? I just might have

The Bane Witch is described as Practical Magic meets Gone Girl, and I totally agree. You follow Piers Corbin fakes her own death to escape an abusive marriage. She travels to her estranged aunt’s house for shelter. It’s there she discovers that her yearning to eat poisonous plants isn’t Pica, as she’s been told. She is a bane witch. A witch who consumes poisons and hunts evil men. 👏🏻

There is so much I loved in this book. I love Piers, who discovers her strength. I love the small, mountain town setting. Female rage and evil people getting what they deserve 👩‍🍳💋. Also, having the MC discover magic later in life is my favorite. There’s hope for me.

I feel like people are going to look at the cover and pick this book up expecting cottage core witchy vibes, and that ain’t it y’all. This is a dark story of revenge and justice (IMO). Pick this one up if you love a witchy tale and a thriller. The Bane Witch is the perfect combination. It’s available now! Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my copy.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn is an intriguing fantasy that blends magic, mystery, and dark secrets. The story follows a powerful witch navigating her complex powers and the challenges they bring. Morgyn’s writing is captivating, with rich world-building and a gripping plot. It’s a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and strong, complex characters.

What a wild ride. I don't know what I was expecting with this book but it wasn't that. That's not a bad thing I just wasn't expecting the intensity and also I'll give y'all a definite trigger warning for all the bad things men have done and will continue to do, although there aren't any extremely graphic scenes that I can recall.
For once I think the summary has it right with the Practical Magic and Gone Girl references, there are definitely elements of both and I don't think you'd be disappointed if that's all you knew about the book going in.
Piers was an interesting character, I liked her a lot, she navigated a horrific series of events in pretty admirable ways while also completely fucking up sometimes and that's pretty relatable even if we can't all poison bad men whenever we want. I did feel like there were times where she made choices that didn't make sense for her, like the day or night after learning about bane witches and that her mother probably accidentally killed two husbands she JUST KISSES REGIS ALL WILLY NILLY RIGHT AFTER KILLING A DUDE WITH HER SPIT. GIRL. This was before learning more about her powers and the limits and stuff all she knew at that point was that she can eat poisonous things and kill two grown ass men. Crazy.
Also I wish Regis was fleshed out a little bit more, it just felt like he hopped on the poison killer train pretty easily for a police sheriff. Like there was a scene where he was like "there's something more that I'm missing" but that's not really explored. I know we can surmise that that thing is Piers but it really felt like she just said "hey I can poison the Saranac Strangler and I'm going to whether you like it or not" and he was just like "alright, but try not to" and that was it?
Anyway, I enjoyed the ride, I would classify the book more as a thriller/mystery over a romance but it was very well written, I like some moral ambiguity, tough decisions, and a deadly birthright.

4 stars! 🍄✨🌲

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, but I was not disappointed! This is the perfect mix of magic realism, intriguing plot points, lovely characters, and a quick paced storyline!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an E-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Before considering reading, please look up trigger warnings*

In “The Bane Witch” we follow the POV of our main character Piers. Desperate to get away from her controlling and abusive husband she decides that the only way to accomplish this is by faking her own death and framing him for her murder. Piers has had many strange occurrences in the past with eating poisonous berries - all labeled as pica at an early age. However, there may be more to this craving than she initially assumes. After escaping, Piers takes on a new identity and shelter by her estranged Aunt Myrtle. She begins to learn the truth about her condition - her family comes from a long line of “Bane Witches” who are meant to protect the innocent and take down cruel men. She accidentally puts herself into a bind and needs to make things right. But it won’t be without hardships.

I REALLY enjoyed this book. The pacing was immaculate, and the writing was so addictive it captivated me from the start. The magic system was simple and to the point, and it served a very specific purpose. I really felt for Piers as a character. She never truly felt understood and wanted a fruitful and respectful marriage. Instead of her husband being great, he was horrid - an absolute nightmare. Having the visions that she did, would be very traumatic and I am happy she found answers as to why she experienced the things in life that she did.

I LOVED how atmospheric Myrtle’s Cafe/cabins were. I definitely feel like Piers thrived there along with her newfound family. I adored her relationship with Ed, Bart, Myrtle, and Regis. Seeing her grow as a person, and into her powers was a breath of fresh air.

This story had a lot of thrilling aspects to it, which kept me on my toes! I can’t wait to see what else this author releases ❤️

The Bane Witch was not at all what I expected but I did enjoy it. I found this book to be magical and full of suspense and mystery but also dark and even violent as well. I liked the lore behind bane witches and the author did a good job of weaving this into the plot. The thought of women getting revenge on men who deserve it is not something unseen in the book world, but I don’t recall reading a book that has spun it in this way before. As a reader, I can definitely tell this is about feminism and justice so that comes across very clearly. I did find it lacking a big climactic moment but maybe that was intentional? Perhaps the author just wanted us to concentrate on the other pieces of the story. Definitely something to think about. I definitely recommend this book to all of my witchy loving readers out there! I will definitely be looking forward to what this author has in store next.

Thank you to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A lot of triggers in this one where I felt I totally judged a book by its cover. Mystery thriller with witches and more. This was good if you love both genres and want a totally different vibe.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

"We don't fear men in this house. Men fear us."

The premise of women consuming poison to then get rid of evil men was so alluring to me. Ultimately, this book left me feeling underwhelmed and slightly disappointed.

The first chapter, as it unveils Piers's fake suicide to get away from her abusive husband, felt clunky to me. The plan itself felt both convoluted and sloppy. For a plan that had all these steps and inclusions to lead cops to believe something else, it just didn't seem well thought out. I also struggled with Piers's personality. It seemed all over the place.

As much as I love witches and women who get revenge, this one wasn't completely for me, though I did find bits and pieces enjoyable.

A solid 4 Star read. I cannot wait to read more from Ava Morgyn!! A dark, witchy fantasy with a morally complex heroine and themes like female rage and vigilante justice. Excellent horror/thriller with a focus on real world violence. This book is dark and twisted in the best ways. Check content warnings!

Piers escapes her abusive husband by faking her own death (reminding me of the movie, Sleeping With The Enemy) and goes to stay with her aunt where she learns so much about herself. This novel is pretty great, there's murder mystery (which I love) and the main character has a wonderful character arc in the story.
My only criticism is that I wish there was more "showing" somehow of the information instead of just telling the reader, if that makes sense. Otherwise, I loved this book and I even loved the ending.

4.25. While a woman estranged from her family reconnecting with them to find out magic runs through her bloodline is not anything new, this was an interesting take on the particular power of a line of witches. Feminism, protection of women in community, justice meted out in what could be construed as revenge? No chance I'm going to dislike it. I liked it a lot. The strangler storyline was a good pairing with those themes. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

A Spell Half-Cast

Witchy Books Are My Blood

I live for a good witchy read, and when I picked up The Bane Witch, I was ready for all the magic, mystery, and mayhem. But did it deliver? Well… my broomstick sputtered mid-flight.

The Good Stuff: Magic, Revenge, and Dark Power

A mystical lineage, dark powers, and a revenge-fueled purpose? Sign me up! The premise had all the makings of a spellbinding read, but sometimes, even the best potions don’t brew quite right.

A Witch on the Run

Piers fakes her own death to escape her husband and finds refuge with her aunt. There, she uncovers a chilling family secret—she's part of a line of Bane Witches, poison eaters who use their deadly gifts to rid the world of terrible men. Sounds like the best kind of nightmare, right?

Where the Potion Curdled

But here’s where things went a little… stale. Something about the execution didn’t click for me. The poison eater concept felt odd, and instead of drawing me deeper into the story, it left me distracted and detached.

A Mystery That Lost Its Magic

While the book does offer a thriller element, that nagging disconnect dulled the suspense. By the halfway mark, my interest slipped away like a wisp of smoke from an extinguished candle.

A Charm That Fizzled

This one wasn’t quite for me. It had its moments, but overall, it was just okay. Still, if the concept intrigues you, it might be your next witchy obsession. The magic just didn’t take hold for me, but maybe it will for you.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn was one of my most anticipated books of the year. However, I ended up being neutral about my feelings for it.

The premise was definitely something that I generally enjoy -- witches, a serial killer, and a romance. But I just couldn't get into the story. The mystery wasn't really a mystery, they weren't really trying to figure out who the killer was, they were just waiting for them to find Piers. The romance wasn't really a romance either, it was more about Piers making bad decisions and showing up at a guy's house for sex randomly in the middle of the night.

The actual Bane Witch part of the story was more interesting, with the lore of bane witches and how they have different talents and how they lure their marks to them. The other witches did seem very judgy though, especially since they knew that Piers hadn't been taught their ways growing up. How she hadn't accidentally killed more men is beyond me.

I just had a hard time picking this book back up to read it, and when I did I couldn't read for long before I was falling asleep. That's not a great attribute in a book. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this story, I don't know. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it, it's just kind of something I finished and have no strong feelings about.

All in all, if you enjoy witchy stories, or lore, or female power, then I would say to give this a chance. Just because it wasn't my favorite book doesn't mean it won't be yours.